Vail Valley Medical Center recognizes outstanding doctors

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VAIL, Colorado - The Vail Valley Medical Center honored the 2012 winners for Physician of the Year, Rising Star and the Clinical Excellence awards to Dr. Thomas Hackett, Dr.Gregory Miranda and Dr. Patricia Hardenbergh, respectively. A special recognition was also given to Dr. Paul Corcoran, local dentist, as well.

The awards were presented at an annual ceremony earlier this month in Edwards by Vail Valley Medical Center President and CEO Doris Kirchner, President of the VVMC Medical Staff Dr. Jamie Gray and Vail Health Services Board Chair Ron Davis.

The Physician of the Year award acknowledges the physician's abilities in leadership, quality patient care, contributions to the community and hospital and the utilization of evidenced-based medicine in daily practice. This year's award went to Hackett, orthopaedic surgeon at The Steadman Clinic and researcher at Steadman Philippon Research Institute. Hackett has been a physician in Vail since 2004 and has been the lead physician for the U.S. Snowboard Team for seven years, in addition to his work at the Vancouver Olympics and the upcoming Sochi Olympics in 2014. Hackett exemplifies leadership through community presentations, actively working to better the medical center and orthopaedics through committee work and supports many local nonprofits. Hackett is a great communicator, respectful colleague, hardworking physician and a compassionate medical provider.

"Dr. Hackett has built a career around excellence in patient care and has made major contributions to the local healthcare community and the greater orthopaedic and sports medicine profession through his hard work, research and compassionate care," Kirchner said.

"The Rising Star Award is for physicians that embody all of the qualities of Physician of the Year, but have been on staff at Vail Valley Medical Center for five or fewer years," said Dr. Barry Hammaker, medical director at VVMC. "The Clinical Excellence Award is for a physician who has contributed to cutting edge techniques or research."

The Rising Star Award recipient for 2012 is Miranda, pediatric hospitalist (Pediatrix Medical Group) at Vail Valley Medical Center. Miranda has been on the medical staff at Vail Valley Medical Center since 2009 and is an active participant in developing evidence-based protocols for the medical center. He is dedicated to practicing state-of-the-art medicine and has taken an influential role in developing Vail Valley Medical Center's new digital medical records system for obstetrics. Miranda has an unparalleled bedside manner and is respected by all of his peers.

The 2012 Clinical Excellence Award was awarded to Hardenbergh, radiation oncologist at Shaw Regional Cancer Center. Hardenbergh received the largest ever Improving Cancer Care Grants from the Conquer Cancer Foundation and Susan G. Komen for the Cure grant to develop Chart Rounds, a virtual tool to connect rural cancer physicians with top oncology physicians to ensure all patients, regardless of location, can have access to the most up-to-date treatment protocols and expert physician opinions. Just two years into developing Chart Rounds, Hardenbergh's creation has helped hundreds of physicians throughout the U.S., and the globe, get answers from leading oncologists.

Unique this year, Vail Valley Medical Center honored Corcoran for his years of dedicated service. Corcoran has been a local dentist since 1981 and is known for his commitment to helping patients during all hours in the day at the Vail Valley Medical Center Emergency Department. Dedicated to helping those in need in our community, Corcoran has held a free day of dentistry for the past four years and genuinely cares about the health and wellbeing of all his patients and our community.

Nominees and winners of each award are chosen by their peers, physician leadership and hospital administration.

Vail Valley Medical Center has over 200 physicians that are eligible for these awards. For more information on the hospital or to learn about Vail Valley Medical Center physicians, please visit www.vvmc.com.